NSW Operator of the Year

Sponsored by the NSW Water Directorate 

This is the most prestigious award presented at WIOA NSW conference annually. The award is presented to operators of water or wastewater treatment facilities to recognise excellent performance, initiative and all round attention to detail.

The NSW Water Directorate as award sponsor sends a letter to all Council and Water Authority CEO’s annually requesting nominations of “operations staff” to be considered for the Award.

The criteria for the determination of the winner is that nominees should be employed in New South Wales and should have direct responsibility for operational decisions at community water and wastewater treatment plants/ or industrial water or wastewater plants.

The following features are taken into account in considering worthy recipients:

  1. Continuing education/training achievement;
  2. Overall plant or system management and condition;
  3. Demonstrated attention to Occupational Health and Safety and other regulatory responsibilities;
  4. Initiative and innovation, demonstrating improved treatment and efficiency

The completed applications are judged by an independent panel and the winner of the Water Directorate NSW Operator of the Year Award is announced at the Awards Dinner at the WIOA NSW conference annually.

The winner receives a perpetual trophy for his or her organisation to keep for 12 months plus a personal trophy to keep permanently.  The winner also receives a trip to New Zealand to join a study tour and participate in the WIOG NZ conference.

New South Wales Operator of the Year  – Honour Roll

YEAR CONFERENCE VENUE OPERATOR OF THE YEAR EMPLOYER
2023 Canberra Shawn Charlton Albury City Council
2022 Tamworth David Miller Parkes Shire Council
2021 WIOA Reconnects – Online Geoff Matheson Midcoast Water
2020 Virtual Water – Online Matthew Agnew Midcoast Water
2019 Orange Danny Roberts Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2018 Tamworth David Cashen Bathurst Regional Council
2017 Canberra Shane Kimber Shoalhaven Water
2016 Newcastle Mark Gogola Orange City Council
2015 Orange Glenn Clifford Dubbo City Council
2014 Orange Todd Pattison Wyong Shire Council
2013 Canberra Neville Woodward Coffs Harbour City Council
2012 Tamworth Erwin Balsar Shoalhaven City Council
2011 Newcastle Allen Paul Clarence Valley Council
2010 Bathurst Les Potter Coffs Harbour Council
2009 Tamworth Ross Waugh Coffs Harbour Council
2008 Newcastle Peter Hale Shoalhaven Water
2007 Dubbo Pat Welsh Midcoast Water

NSW Operator of the Year

Nominations will open in 2024

NSW Young Operator of the Year – Bernie Barnes Award

Sponsored by the NSW Department of Planning & Environemnt

This award, generously sponsored by the Department of Environment & Planning is designed to provide encouragement to young water industry employees by recognising excellent performance, initiative and all round attention to detail.

We invite all employers of operators within NSW/ACT to consider putting in a nomination for one of their “operations staff” to be considered for this Award.

To be eligible for consideration the nominees:

  • Must be employed in the NSW/ACT water industry and be aged under 30 years
  • Must have been employed in the water industry for less than 5 years

Nominations are judged on submissions from employers covering:

  1. Commitment to and demonstrating a strong OHS ethic in all work performed
  2. Commitment to undertaking training and then implementation of skills learned into the workplace
  3. Commitment to teamwork and following enterprise SOP’s etc
  4. Commitment to meeting Corporation and regulatory requirements in the course of all work
  5. Demonstrated use of initiative or suggestions leading to efficiency or safety improvements
  6. Any other relevant industry-based achievements.

Please provide the following with your nomination:

  1. One headshot image of the nominee (jpg or similar format)
  2. One image of the nominee at work (jpg or similar format)

The completed applications are judged by an independent panel and the winner receives a perpetual trophy for his or her organisation to keep for 12 months plus a personal trophy to keep permanently.  The winner also receives a trip to New Zealand to join a study tour and participate in the WIOG NZ conference.

New South Wales Young Operator of the Year  – Honour Roll

YEAR CONFERENCE VENUE YOUNG OPERATOR OF THE YEAR EMPLOYER
2023 Canberra Kelly Minors Mid Western Regional Council

NSW Young Operator of the Year

Nominations will open in 2024

Best Paper by an Operator – NSW Conference

Sponsored by ProMinent

The awards are offered as an incentive to encourage “grass roots” operational staff to share their knowledge and experience. To be eligible to win the award for Best paper by an Operator, all authors must be WIOA members, with the Primary Author employed in any sector of the water industry and identify themselves as working in an operational role.

WIOA selects a number of judges at each conference who watch all the presentations made over the two days. They score each of the papers based on:

  • The content and layout of the written paper;
  • The originality of the ideas portrayed;
  • The use of visual aids during the presentation;
  • The verbal presentation and whether or not the author sticks to the allotted time; and
  • The demeanor of the presenter including how well they answer any questions.

At the completion of the paper sessions, the scores are tallied and the winners determined. The prizes are:

1st Place:  Travel, accommodation and a full delegate registration to attend another WIOA conference in Australia to deliver the paper again (to the value of $1,750)

2nd Place: Complimentary delegate registration (non-transferrable) to a WIOA conference of their choice within the next 12 months (valued at $750)

3rd Place:  Complimentary delegate registration (non-transferrable) to a WIOA conference of their choice within the next 12 months (valued at $750)

Year First Second Third
2023 Luke Mayne & Sam Magill
Hunter Water & Water Infrastructure Services		 Curtis Gordon
Icon Water		 Mark Habel
Plasson Australia
2022 Shawn Charlton
Albury City Council		 Wesley Trotter & Stephen Smailes
Kempsey Shire Council		 David Barry
Aqualift
2021 Not Held
2020 Not Held
2019 Shawn Charlton
Federation Council		 James Davis
Hunter Shire Council		 Matthew Benstead
TRILITY
2018 William Constable
Tamworth Regional Council		 Adrian Cameron
Tamworth Regional Council		 Barry Young
Kempsey Shire Council
2017 Brock Stone
Gunnedah Shire Council		 Shane Dyson & Eric Nielsen
Icon Water		 Danny Roberts
Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2016 Paul Gregg
Cowra Shire Council		 Nathan Bakewell
Midcoast Water		 Benjamin Freeman
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
2015 Kim Sheree
Veolia Water		 Bob Palmer
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council		 Craig Stone
MidCoast Water
2014 Terry Randall
Port Macquarie Hastings Council		 Luke Stitt
ACTEW Water		 Danny Roberts & Scott Bradshaw
Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2013 Leigh Trevaskis
Riverina Water County Council		 Chris Carlon
Wingecarribee Council		 Wes Trotter
ACTEW Water
2012 Micheal Summerell

Junee Shire

 Glenn Clifford

Dubbo City Council

 Danny Roberts

Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2011 Graeme Berriman

Gosford City Council

 Brenden Bates

Riverina Water County Council

 Robert Palmer & Ken Barker

Port-Macquarie-Hastings Council
2010 Steve Glennan

Shoalhaven Water

 Bob Banning

Bathurst Regional Council

 Pat Davis

Riverina Water
2009 Peter Outtrim

Riverina Water County Council

 Lindsay Walsh

Midcoast Water

 John Day

Goulburn Valley Water
2008 John Stevens

Hunter Water

 Pat Davis

Riverina Water County Council

 Shaun Clews & Justin Watts

Hunter Water
2007 Chris Carlon

Wingecarribbee Shire Council

 John Stevens

Hunter Water

 Peter Outtrim

Riverina Water

Best Paper Overall – NSW Conference

Sponsored by Hanna Instruments

This prize is an Open category award with all Platform paper presenters eligible to win, including the winner of the Best Paper by an Operator.

By using the votes from the platform paper judges, the presenter with the highest number of votes will receive the Prize for the Best Paper Overall at the conference.

The prize for the winner is a an all expenses paid opportunity to attend an Interstate WIOA Conference to deliver the paper again (to the value of $1,750)

Year Conference Venue Prize Winner
2023 Canberra Steven Buck
Icon Water
2022 Tamworth Lucy Parsons
Atom Consulting
2021 Not Held
2020 Not Held
2019 Orange Alex McCaffrey
Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2018 Tamworth Thomas Lees
Ballina Shire Council
2017 Canberra Brock Stone
Gunnedah Shire Council
2016 Newcastle Paul Gregg
Cowra Shire Council
2015 Orange Kate Smith
ACTEW Water
2014 Orange Terry Randall
Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2013 Canberra David Barry
Aqualift Portable Diving
2012 Tamworth Micheal Summerell
Junee Shire Council
2011 Newcastle Katie Jones
Hunter Water Australia
2010 Bathurst Fiona Conlon
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
2009 Tamworth Peter Outtrim
Riverina Water County Council
2008 Newcastle Yolanda Sztarr
Hatlar Group
2007 Dubbo Kate Miles
NSW Department of Commerce

Best Poster by an Operator Award – NSW Conference

Sponsored by IWES – The University of Queensland

It was recognised some time ago that not all “operations” staff feel comfortable with the idea of standing up in front of their peers and delivering a platform presentation. Others have an idea or a project they have completed which does not provide sufficient information to allow for a written paper and a 20 minute presentation. For these reasons, a Poster Paper section was introduced into the program for the various WIOA conferences.

The Posters use the same qualifying rules as the Papers (non-Bachelor qualified). Each poster author is required to do a short (5 minute) description of their poster in a more relaxed atmosphere on Thursday afternoon. They must also answer any questions about the poster.

Bachelor qualified water professionals are also invited to enter a poster for information sharing however, they will not be eligible to win the prizes.

To be eligible to win the award for Best Poster by an Operator, all authors must be WIOA members, with the Primary Author employed in any sector of the water industry and identify themselves as working in an operational role.

At the completion of the poster judging session, the winners are determined and the winners of the Best Poster Papers will be awarded:

1st Place:  All expenses paid opportunity to attend an Interstate WIOA conference (to the value of $1,750)

Year First Second Third
2023 Russell Sherman
Midcoast Water
2022 Zach Eyers
Albury City Council
2021 Not Held
2020 Not Held
2019 No Entries Received
2018 Wes Trotter
Kempsey Regional Council		 Danny Roberts
Port Macquarie Hastings Council		 Kent Harris
Moree Plains Shire Council
2017 Gary Perrin
Singleton Council		 Aaron Little
Midcoast Water		 Matthew Marsh
Tamworth Regional Council
2016 Eric Nielsen
Icon Water		 Troy Bostock
Kempsey Shire Council		 Prakashbabu Radhakrishnan
Dubbo City Council
2015 No Entries Received
2014 Darren Sutherland
Kempsey Shire Council		 Pat Welsh & Lindsay Walsh
Midcoast Water		 No Entries Received
2013 Brenden Bates
Riverina Water County Council		 Mick Piggott
Coffs Harbour Water		 Troy Bostock
Kempsey Shire Council
2012 Warren Nazzari
Coffs Harbour City Council		 Danny Roberts
Port Macquarie Hastings Council		 Jason Southcoat
Moree Plains Shire Council
2011 Glenn Clifford
Dubbo City Council		 Ross Waugh
Coffs Harbour City Council		 Les Potter
Coffs Harbour City Council

Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in NSW/ACT

Sponsored by Ixom

The Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in NSW/ACT  competition is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness of the quality of NSW’s drinking water and to recognise the efforts of local water service providers in delivering valuable water services to their communities.

The award for the Best Tasting Tap Water will be judged and presented as part of the WIOA NSW Water Operations Conference & Exhibition with the winner announced as having the Best Tasting Tap Water in the State.

About the Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water NSW/ACT

All entries must not have incurred a “serious” water quality incident includes protracted periods of poor water quality or boiled water alerts, an event leading to immediate potential public health risks or other break-down of risk-management protocols.

For more information, please contact WIOA on 03 5821 6744, or email info@wioa.org.au

Previous Winners

2023 Rous County Council, Nightcap WTP
2022 Shoalhaven Water, Nowra, Bamarang WTP
2021 Richmond Valley Council, Casino WTP
2020 Port Macquaire Hastings Council, Wauchope WTP
2019 Shoalhaven Water, Nowra, Bamarang WTP
2018 Port Macquaire Hastings Council, Port Macquarie WTP
2017 Icon Water, Mt Stromolo WTP
2016 Nambucca Shire Council, Bowraville WTP
2015 Orange City Council, Orange WTP
2014 Bega Valley Shire Council, Kalaru
2013 Midcoast Water, Bootowa WTP